While most of Oregon track and field will take time to recover during an off-weekend, a trio is flying east to participate in the Millrose Games.
In one of the most prestigious indoor meets in the country, Edward Cheserek will be running the 3000. Raevyn Rogers will be in the 800 and Blake Haney will take part in the Armory Invitational Mile.
“We get the chance to go to The Big Apple, the media capital of the world, and display the ‘O’ there,” Oregon head coach Robert Johnson said. “An exciting time.”
Many former Ducks will also be competing at the Games. Familiar names like Ashton Eaton, Matthew Centrowitz, Jenna Prandini, Jordan Hasay, Laura Roesler and Phyllis Francis are just a few who will be taking part.
For Cheserek, the meet will serve as a chance to return home. He is from Newark, New Jersey. Cheserek expects to see many friends and former coaches cheering him on at the meet. In addition to the faces in the crowd, Cheserek will also have the chance to run alongside past teammates Eric Jenkins and Johnny Gregorek.
“Its always fun to meet up with alumni and old teammates and just go with them and enjoy the ride,” Cheserek said.
Cheserek’s goal is to earn his qualifying time for Nationals so he can go and help Oregon score points in the team competition. He also has the chance to open things up and push himself against a tough field.
“We wanted to put him in a situation where he can continue to improve and continue to learn,” Johnson said. “At some point in time, he will be competing at this level full time, so for him to get a taste of it this year is definitely a blessing.”
Cheserek hasn’t yet broken down for his teammates what to expect at the Armory, a place where he ran many meets in high school. Rogers expects they can use the long flight to talk about the quirks of the track.
She will be trying to get her qualifying time in the 800 — something she isn’t used to waiting so long to do. But Rogers has been running well this year and expects to have a good time by the end of the weekend.
“Stay focused and don’t forget what I am running for,” Rogers said of her plan for the race. “Don’t get caught up in the pressure.”
For Haney, receiving the invite to run at the Games is just another stepping stone in what is quickly turning into an impressive, albeit short, career so far with Oregon. The redshirt freshman will look to build off his sub-four time at the Razorback Invitational (3:59.10) and continue to push toward the end of the season.
“Its an opportunity for him to go and help secure his place at Nationals,” Johnson said, “because I think he is a lot lower on the list and they only take the top-16.”
Cheserek will also have some advice for his young teammate.
“I’ll tell him ‘just go there, have fun and try to run as fast as you can,” he said.
Click here for a complete list of entries.
The Millrose Games will take place on Saturday, February 20. Haney is scheduled to run at 3:29, Cheserek at 4:56 and Rogers at 5:34.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur